Then and Now

The 10-day 1965 Minnesota State Fair featured the new 330 ft. Space Tower, the Educational Building, and a huge Dance Pavilion in the teen “fair within the fair.” The grandstand shows had Clarinetist Pete Fountain, Motown singer Mary Wells, the Ray Charles Singers, and country singer Roger Miller. Stock car races were held at the grandstand track with the longest one on Labor Day but have not been held since 2002. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police performed in the Hippodrome (renamed the Coliseum) as well as 4-H, FFA and open class livestock and horse shows. This was the first year that Princess Kay was carved in the 90 lb. butter block. The 80-acre Machinery Hill was always a big attraction for farmers attending with the latest equipment on display. Fair visitors could park on the fairground streets if they got there early enough. The State Fair started in 1859 and moved to the St. Paul site in 1885 when Ramsey County donated the 210-acre county poor farm to the Agriculture Society for the six-day fair. It now covers 270 acres. It was extended to eight days 1919 -1938, 10 days from 1939 — 1971, 11 days 1972- 1974, and has been 12 days since 1975. This fair is the second largest state fair in attendance in the U.S. behind Texas which runs 24 days. This fair ad is from the DCI newspaper archives.